The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, in consultation with the Attorney General and the Home Secretary, has approved the appointment of Claire Waxman OBE as Victims’ Commissioner.
The role of the VC is to promote the interests of victims and witnesses of crime and anti-social behaviour, to encourage good practice in their treatment, and to keep under review the operation of the Victims’ Code, which sets out the services victims can expect to receive from the criminal justice system.
Claire Waxman OBE Biography
Claire Waxman OBE is the Victims’ Commissioner for London, and since her appointment by the Mayor of London in 2017 has undertaken an ambitious programme of work. Ms Waxman works alongside victims and survivors, amplifying their voices and promoting their interests throughout the criminal justice journey; ensuring their experiences are used to inform and shape practices, policies, and service provision.
Her achievements in the role include convening London’s first ever Victims’ Summit, the first of three; publishing the Victims’ Code of Practice Review, two London Rape Reviews, and the London Stalking Review; holding a series of roundtables to better understand the experiences of specific groups of victims; and successfully lobbying for key changes to legislation including the Domestic Abuse Act, Police Crime Sentencing and Courts Act, and Victims and Prisoners Act.
She recently published the Victim Attrition Review, commissioned especially to better understand when and why victims are withdrawing from the criminal justice process.
Ms Waxman was awarded an OBE in the 2022 New Year’s Honours for services to victims of crime.
This appointment is made by the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice under Section 48 of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004, and is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. The appointment has been made in line with the Governance Code on Public Appointments.
